U.S. patent number 4,872,239 [Application Number 07/230,433] was granted by the patent office on 1989-10-10 for door closure with mechanical braking means.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Chamberlain Group, Inc.. Invention is credited to Edward H. Ferguson, Kiyoshi Iha.
United States Patent |
4,872,239 |
Ferguson , et al. |
October 10, 1989 |
Door closure with mechanical braking means
Abstract
A mechanical disk-type door closure wherein one end of the
closure is connected to a door and the other end is pivotally
connected to a door jam such that when the door pivots about its
hinge. The closure includes a rod upon which a rack is formed to
cause a pinion to rotate in one direction and which is in mesh with
a gear so as to move the pinion out of contact with the rack. When
the door closes, a spring moves the pinion into engagement with the
rack and the pinion turns in a direction to rotate the gear which
is subjected braking pressure so as to adjust the resistance to the
closing motion of the door.
Inventors: |
Ferguson; Edward H. (Arlington
Heights, IL), Iha; Kiyoshi (Elk Grove Village, IL) |
Assignee: |
The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
(Elmhurst, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22865203 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/230,433 |
Filed: |
August 10, 1988 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/64; 16/85;
16/DIG.11; 16/79 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05F
1/105 (20130101); E05F 5/02 (20130101); E05F
5/08 (20130101); E05Y 2201/21 (20130101); E05Y
2201/212 (20130101); E05Y 2201/26 (20130101); E05Y
2201/264 (20130101); E05Y 2201/266 (20130101); E05Y
2201/41 (20130101); E05Y 2201/474 (20130101); E05Y
2201/722 (20130101); E05Y 2900/132 (20130101); Y10S
16/11 (20130101); Y10T 16/577 (20150115); Y10T
16/293 (20150115); Y10T 16/625 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
E05F
1/00 (20060101); E05F 1/10 (20060101); E05F
5/00 (20060101); E05F 5/02 (20060101); E05F
5/08 (20060101); E05F 001/10 (); E05F 005/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;16/49,51,62,64,69,71,85,DIG.9,DIG.10,79 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Godici; Nicholas P.
Assistant Examiner: Andes; William Scott
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hill Van Santen, Steadman &
Simpson
Claims
We claim as our invention:
1. A door closure mechanism for a pivoted door which pivots about a
pivot point comprising, a longitudinal rack member with one end
pivotally attached to a door jam adjacent the said pivot point of
said door and formed with a rack, a housing into which said rack
member extends, said housing pivotally attached to said door at a
point remote from said pivot point of said door, first spring means
mounted in said housing and urging said rack member into said
housing to bias said door toward the closed position, a pinion gear
rotatably mounted in said housing and engageable with said rack,
brake means coupled to said pinion gear, wherein said brake means
includes a second gear rotatably supported by said housing and in
mesh with said pinion gear, and wherein said pinion gear is loosely
mounted in said housing for movement into and out of engagement
with said rack and a second spring which engages said pinion gear
so as to bias it into engagement with said rack.
2. A door closure for a pivoted door according to claim 1 wherein
said brake means comprises a pressure pad means which engages said
second gear.
3. A door closure for a pivoted door according to claim 2 wherein
said brake means includes a bolt and a threaded knob mounted in
said housing and engageable with said pressure pad means so as to
allow the braking force on said second gear to be adjusted.
4. A door closure for a pivoted door according to claim 3 including
a pressure spring adjustable by said threaded knob to vary the
braking force on said second gear.
5. A door closure for a pivoted door according to claim 1 wherein
during opening motion of said door said pinion gear is moved out of
engagement with said rack by said second gear as said second gear
rotates in a first direction due to being loosely mounted in said
housing and during closing motion of said door, said pinion gear
moves into engagement with said rack and is held in such engagement
by said gear as said second gear rotates in a second direction.
6. A door closure for a pivoted door according to claim 5 wherein
said rack member has a slot at one end of said rack into which said
pinion gear is received as said door approaches the closed
position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a mechanical disk-type door
closure and in particular to an improved door closure
mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Door closures are known which include a cylinder and piston with a
fluid such as air or oil and wherein during door opening or
closing, the piston compresses the fluid so as to prevent a door
from slamming. Such door closures are difficult to adjust in that
the leakage of the fluid must be adjusted so as to control the
speed of operation of the door closing mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical
disk-type door closure which has closer assembly with one end
attached to a door and the other end pivotally attached to a door
jam. When the door is opened, the closer housing moves about its
pivot and causes a spring to compress and a pinion engages a rack
formed on a rod so as to move the pinion in a first direction. The
pinion also engages a gear and then in the opening direction, the
pinion rides up on the gear out of engagement with the rack since
the pinion is loosely mounted in its support. Upon closing, a
spring moves the pinion into engagement with the rack and the rack
turns the pinion which turns the gear. Brake means including disk
pads are adjustable so as to vary the braking force applied to the
gear and, thus, to control speed of the door closing motion.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
fluid-free door closing mechanism.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of certain
preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings although variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel
concepts of the disclosure, and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away view of the door closure of the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially section view of the door closure of the
invention at right angles to the view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the door closure housing;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the door closure mechanism;
FIG. 5 is a partially cut-away sectional view of the door closure
mechanism when the door is opening; and
FIG. 6 is a partially cut-away sectional view of the door closure
mechanism when the door is closing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a door 10 which is pivotally supported by a
hinge 11 that has a pivot pin 12 from a jam 13. The other end of
the door 14 when in the closed position engages a stop 16 which is
mounted on a jam 17. Jam members 15 and 17 adjacent the jam 13
support a bracket 18 which is connected by screws 19 to the jams 17
and 15. A rod 24 has one end 26 pivotally connected to planar
members 22 and 23 of the bracket 18 with a pin 21 as shown in FIG.
2. The rod 24 extends through a housing 44 and into a cylindrical
portion 27 connected to the housing 44. The other end of the
portion 27 has a U-shaped pivot member 16 which is pivotally
connected to arms 28 and 29 of a bracket 34 which is connected by
screws 35 to the surface of the door 10 as shown in FIG. 1.
Mounted within the cylindrical member 27 is a threaded member 36
which is received on threads 38 of the end 39 of the rod 24 and the
member 36 is formed with a shoulder 37 which engages a spring 41
which surrounds the rod portion 39 and its other end engages the
housing 44. The rod 24 is formed with a rack portion 42
intermediate its ends and a slot 43 is formed adjacent the rack
portion 42 between the rack and the end 26 as shown in FIGS. 2, 5,
and 6. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a pinion gear 64 is
formed with extending shaft portions 68 and 70 on either side
thereof and portion 70 rides in a slot 67 which allows transverse
motion of the gear 64 relative to the rod 24. A washer 103 is held
by a screw 104 to the portion 70 and a spring 69 has a first end 73
which engages a pin 71 mounted in the housing 44 and passes around
a pin 72 mounted in the housing 44 and engages the pinion 68 so as
to bias pinion gear 64 into engagement with the rack 42.
A gear 63 is mounted in the housing 44 so that its teeth engage the
pinion gear 64. The gear 63 is rotatably mounted on an extension 66
of the housing 44. A disc 92 is held by bolt 91 and a projection
93. A disk plate 55 is engaged by the projection 93 and bears on a
disk pad 40 which engages one surface of the gear 63. A second disk
pad 94 engages the other side of the gear 63 and a disk plate 96 is
mounted between the pad 94 and the housing 44. A pressure spring
101 has ends which engages a surface 102 of the housing 44 and the
bolt 91 extends therethrough and passes through a washer 99 and an
adjusting knob 98 is threadedly received on the threaded end of the
bolt 91 so as to adjust the brake pressure on the side surfaces of
the gear 63.
In operation, assuming that the door is closed and in the position
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pinion gear 64 will be positioned with
its teeth in the slot 43 of the rod 24. As the door is opened, the
housing 44 and the cylindrical portion 27 will move to the left
relative to the FIGS. and when the pinion gear 64 engages the rack
42, the rack will tend to rotate the pinion gear counterclockwise
relative to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. When this occurs, the pinion gear 64
will ride up on the teeth of the gear 63 out of engagement with the
rack 42 as shown in FIG. 5 with the pinion portions 68 and 70
moving in the slot 67 against the tension of the spring 69. The
door will continue opening with shaft 24 and housing 44 moving to
the left relative to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 until the limit of the
door opening has occurred.
When the door is released for closing, the pinion gear 64 will be
biased by the spring 69 so that the pinion portions 68 and 69 move
in slot 67 such that the teeth of the pinion gear 64 engage the
rack 42 which causes the gear 64 to rotate in a clockwise direction
relative to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. Fr the gear 64 to rotate in the
clockwise direction, it is necessary that gear 63 rotate in the
counterclockwise direction since the teeth of gears 64 and 63 are
in mesh. Since the gear 63 is subjected to the brake mechanism
comprising the pressure pads 40 and 94, the gear 63 will rotate
during closing, but it will restrict the speed of closing of the
door and thus limit the speed of rotation of the pinion gear 64 in
the rack 42. This prevents the door from slamming shut. When the
door is substantially closed and is swung to a position of
approximately 30.degree. from closing, the pinion gear 64 leaves
the end of the rack 42 and moves in the slot 43 of the rod 24 and
the door completely closes due to the action of the spring 41 which
pulls the door to its fully closed position.
The speed of closing can be adjusted by adjusting the knob 98 which
applies through the spring 101 adjustable brake pressure to the
gear 63. Thus, if a door closes too fast, the knob 98 can be
rotated to apply greater pressure on the brake pads 90 and 94.
Alternatively, if the door closes too slowly, the knob 98 can be
rotated in the opposite direction to reduce the braking force on
the pads 90 and 94.
It is seen that this invention provides a novel door closure
mechanism and although it has been described with respect to
preferred embodiments, it is not to be so limited as changes and
modifications may be made therein which are within the full
intended scope as defined by the appended claims .
* * * * *